Do you know about the UBC Faculty of Education’s podcast, Down the Hall?

Down the Hall is the UBC Faculty of Education’s original podcast, offering episodes bi-weekly since December 2010. Produced by Professional Development & Community Engagement (PDCE), listeners from around the world tune in for the education-focused podcast as co-hosts David Roy and Fiona Czeschel host each 45-minute episode with wit and banter.

Down the Hall is a promotional and informative podcast that investigates and discusses trending issues and areas of research in Education. As senior program assistants for the Master of Educational Technology program and PDCE graduate cohort programs, David and Fiona have worked in the UBC Faculty of Education for a combined total of 16 years.

With extensive experience and intimate knowledge of UBC’s Education programs, they delve deeper with online research to discover topical and timely Education events and issues for their listeners. Using PDCE and the Faculty of Education as starting points, they capture “a snapshot of a specific time, research project, interesting feature, or something in the news that’s current,” says Fiona.

In the early days of Down the Hall, interview topics were focused on PDCE’s graduate cohorts, distance learning, summer institutes, and MET program. As PDCE expands its portfolio, the podcast follows suit, covering events within the entire UBC Faculty of Education and a wider range of Education topics. Carefully curating each episode, David and Fiona strive to create a broader context and understanding of education for the listener.

Now on its 55th episode, Down the Hall began as a dream of professional development. As one of the original producers of the podcast, David recalls the first moments of Down the Hall’s inception:

I bought my iPhone four years ago, and ever since, I’ve loved listening to podcasts in my car on the way to work, even imagining hosting one of them. I began wondering about how I can bring this service to the community, be informative about what we do, and share what’s going on at PDCE.

At the time, I was thinking more specifically of the office, but it’s broadened since then to cover education in general, and the [UBC faculty of education]. I thought this would be a good way to hit both targets.

In addition to the interesting and informative podcast subjects, David and Fiona offer recommendations for the listeners, also known colloquially as ‘plugs.’ These plugs are often useful apps, websites, or programs that the co-hosts encounter in their work and research. Choosing plugs that always include a free of charge option, David and Fiona share this information so that podcast listeners can learn and benefit from what they have found intriguing, enjoyable or helpful.

David and Fiona are keen on connecting with the UBC Faculty of Education community, and eagerly welcome suggestions for interview topics and interviewees. To contact the co-hosts with an idea, email podcast.pdce@ubc.ca. For Down the Hall episode details, archived episodes and more information, visit downthehall.libsyn.com.